These Kitchen Organization Before-and-After Photos Will Delight Every Type-A Person

Living in a small apartment is hard. And being a home editor for a living doesn't make it any easier. When my husband and I finally reached a breaking point with our tiny New York City kitchen, I enlisted the help of a pro organizer to completely transform our space. Now I'm sharing everything I learned with you.

Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

Before: Cluttered Chaos

Since our cabinets were fully packed, the countertops ended up taking on more than their fair share of stuff. Not to mention the wire rack that was intended to keep this space organized only created extra space for unnecessary junk to pile up.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

After: Everything Has a Home

With the help of Jeffrey Philip, a Good Housekeeping columnist and professional organizer, I first worked to get rid of the items I didn't need. Then, he only put back the essentials, leaving my space clean and simple.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing

Before: Wasted Potential

Even though I had attempted to add an organizer ($11, amazon.com) to the cabinet over my fridge, the rest of this space was occupied by mugs and glassware that were never (ever) used. Talk about a waste.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

After: Baking Basics

Jeffrey had a clear vision for this high cabinet, so it's the first place he tackled. "Getting one area settled that you are looking forward to working on helps create a positive forward momentum for the rest of the project," he says. Two risers ($7, amazon.com) provided ample area for all my baking needs, which were things I only used occasionally. And if it's not a day-to-day essential, being out of reach is just fine.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing

Before: Too Many Glasses

The riser ($7, amazon.com) I already had on the bottom shelf of this cabinet created twice the storage. The only problem: This bonus surface area was wasted on twice as many cups as my husband and I really needed.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

After: Organized Dishes

After getting rid of nearly half of my glasses (and moving out some randomly placed spices!), this cabinet had more than enough space for my entire collection, including wine vessels. Plus, serving dishes that used to sit out on a wire rack (collecting dust, I might add) got a safe home behind closed doors.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing

Before: Under the Sink Situation

It's easy to stuff grocery store bags with your cleaners and forget about them — that is, until you need a new sponge and can't find one in your mess.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

After: Streamlined Success

The inside of cabinet doors is one of most under-utilized spaces in most kitchen. Use hooks and caddies ($5, amazon.com) to add extra storage. And your grocery bags can organize themselves when you take the time to fold them up carefully.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing

Before: Utensils Galore

The reason this drawer is out of control is simple: there are two sets of silverware in it. Jeffrey says the second set falls into the "what if" category, which are items you should donate but resist due to the fear of needing them in the future.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

After: All You Need

Jeffrey says it's normal to feel guilt and anxiety getting rid of items. "Once those feelings settle and are understood, there is a rewarding feeling on the other side." Case in point: this pristine and organized drawer with plastic caddies ($6, amazon.com).

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing

Before: Wasted Cabinet Walls

Even though this wire rack looks like it's creating tons of storage for a small kitchen, it's actually blocking an even more valuable space, while creating unnecessary clutter.

This bar cart was added to give this space more of a galley kitchen treatment. But since the surface was almost completely covered, it wasn't much help during dinner prep.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

After: Tons of Surface Area

Jeffrey pointed out that there's no need for two knife blocks in any kitchen, let alone on the counter. He also added an extra shelf ($16, amazon.com) for spices and moved the coffee and tea containers closer to the kettle and coffee maker.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

Smarter Pantry Storage

Jeffrey says keeping tabs on the food you already have is all about creating categories that work for your household. Here, snacks go on the bottom shelf, while breakfast foods and sweets go on the second shelf. The third is left empty for overflow.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing

File Serving Dishes

This filing organizer(similar for $6, amazon.com) is ideal for heavy serving platters, cutting boards and trays because it screws into the bottom of the cabinet and won't wiggle as you pull items in and out.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

Clear Storage for Baking Essentials

Items that your family always keeps on hand (and usually in bulk) are best stored in clear containers ($14, amazon.com) — this way you can see when they're running low and add them to your shopping list.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

Heavy Items Go Below

Items like cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens should always go in the lowest cabinet possible, partly because it's safer to pull them out that way and you also won't have to worry about the shelf they're sitting on collapsing under their weight.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

Create a Plan

Many people find food storage containers intimidating to corral, but Jeffrey made it look easy. He just added a riser ($7, amazon.com), stacked round shapes on top and square ones on bottom, then used a sliding container ($13, amazon.com) for lids. Voilà!

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

Lid Solution

Your storage doesn't have to be used in the way it was originally intended. Instead of hanging towels on this rack, Jeffrey hung pot and pan lids whose counterparts he hung on the wall nearby.

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Photo by Kathryn Wirsing; Design by Betsy Farrell

More Organizing Ideas

If you want to learn more about what it was like to let a pro organizer take over my kitchen, you can read all about it here.

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